Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

48 reviews

karalynaa's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Child abuse, Alcohol, Violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Gore, Emotional abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, and Dementia

micallab's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Violence, Vomit, and Child death

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Forced institutionalization

linora's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book made me laugh out loud and made me cry. It was written beautifully and I have a feeling that I will be thinking about it for a long time. 

I'm debated between giving it 4.75 and 5 stars, and decided to upgrade it to 5 stars because of a few scenes that were written with such care and understanding while still maintaining their humor. I do think the metaphor weakened towards the end as the plot transitioned into more traditional horror, but I loved it anyway

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Self harm, Death of parent, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Stalking, Torture, Vomit, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

brit0929's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Child abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Gore, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, and Physical abuse

purstiltski's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Self harm, Cursing, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcoholism

Minor: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, and Mental illness

izypup's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love when women 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Blood, Gore, Murder, Child death, Body horror, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Addiction, Confinement, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Animal death, Torture, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

priscillarobock's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Murder, Violence, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Self harm, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Torture, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Vomit, Blood, and Body horror

battysbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Gore, Domestic abuse, and Death

Moderate: Mental illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Animal death

rae91rae's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Body horror, Blood, Murder, Cursing, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Vomit, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Blood

rorikae's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

'The September House' by Carissa Orlando is a thoughtful look at one woman holding her own in a haunted house. 
After Margaret and her husband move into their dream house, they discover that it is haunted every September. The house becomes too much for Margaret's husband and he decides to leave. Margaret, on the other hand, learns how to deal with the house's eccentricities, like blood pouring down the walls and ghosts that bite when you get too close. But when Margaret's daughter Katherine discovers that her father has gone missing, she shows up at the house to search for him and discovers that her mother is not living a normal, happy life. 
'The September House' is a fascinating story that delves into one woman learning how to live in a haunted house and what this says about her life. The house is very much a metaphor for her larger life situation but delving into that further would be a bit of a spoiler. I appreciate when an author uses a speculative element to discuss something nonspeculative and Orlando does that quite well in this novel. Margaret's situation and what she has been going through is slowly revealed throughout the book and there were a few points that could be considered twists as the story veered into unexpected territory. I really got on with the writing style and the humor of the book. The story veers from more satirical at the beginning to more straight horror toward the middle and end. If you are looking for a thought provoking book that delves into one woman's situation using a speculative element, then definitely check out 'The September House.'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Mental illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Grief, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Blood, Body horror, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death